'This means so much' - Cork's Gaytime Nemo claims famous English Greyhound Derby win

The O'Connell family dog is trained by Graham Holland.

Rachel Holland with Gaytime Nemo after winning the English Greyhound Derby.

Gaytime Nemo raced into the annals of greyhound racing history with a faultless display in Saturday night’s final of the Star Sports/TRC English Derby at Towcester.

Owned by the O’Connell family of Blarney and trained by Graham and Nicky Holland, he is by the imperious Droopys Sydney out of the O’Connell’s own bitch, Gaytime Derval, and this success earned him £175,000.

A lightly raced dog, just days shy of his third birthday, he chose the perfect night to put it all together. Well drawn, wearing the blue sheet, he broke better than ever and was in command racing to the first bend, where he raced off just a little but gave away virtually nothing.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀/𝗧𝗥𝗖 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝘆𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹

🥇 T2 Gaytime Nemo
🥈 T3 Romeo Command
🥉 TCochise

⏱ 28.89sec

🏟 @TowcesterRaces

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗥𝗣𝗚𝗧𝗩 ➡️ https://t.co/Gv627HZycN

🔞 18+ | https://t.co/Wxnsr1iM1A pic.twitter.com/fN0zS76LQ3

— @RPGreyhounds (@RPGreyhounds) July 1, 2023

Contrastingly, his kennelmate and odds-on favourite, Swords Rex, who had been foot perfect in the trapping stakes in five previous rounds, missed the kick completely and left himself with a mountain to climb.

It was left to Romeo Command, representing Pat Janssens, who won the Derby with Thorn Falcon in 2021, to do the chasing but his was a fruitless task.

There were some three or four lengths between the front two as they raced out of the second bend and with the leader moving with purpose throughout, that is how it remained. The 9-1 chance hit the line three and a half lengths to the good, in 28.89, with Cochise staying on well to snatch third place from Swords Rex.

Holland’s third representative, Clona Duke, enjoyed no luck in running and, having been short of room all the way to the first bend, he suffered crowding which put paid to his chance. Ninja Kerry, the 33-1 rank outsider amongst the sextet, trailed the field.

This was an historic success for the O’Connells, who have been lifelong supporters of the sport and have had many top-class performers along the way.

Recently, Gaytime Hugo, who is a half-brother to Gaytime Nemo, was a finalist in the prestigious Con & Annie Kirby Memorial, while, in 2015, Gaytime Hawk won four consecutive rounds of the Irish Derby before his luck ran out in the final.

DERBY DELIGHT: Gaytime Nemo pulled off a famous victory for the O'Connell family on Saturday night. Pictured are Eimear Lehane, Der Lehane, Brid Lehane, Stephanie O'Connell, Brendan O’Connell, Deirdre O'Connell.

“It hasn’t sunk in,” winning owner Brendan O’Connell told RPGTV. “I saw him pop out and I said, ‘we’re going to do it.’ 

“This means so much, it’s fantastic. Fair play to Graham Holland. I think it’s really important to outline what a massive achievement it is for Graham, Nicky and the Riverside team.

“In January, the dog had a tricky injury and to bring him back to win the English Derby is just a phenomenal training performance.” For the Hollands it was a second consecutive win in the stake, having taken the 2022 renewal with Romeo Magico.

“He just bombed out and was gone, didn’t he,” said Nicky Holland. “He ran brilliantly. Once he was out in front, he was always going to be hard to peg back because he’s so strong. I’m delighted for the O’Connells. They’re all over for it, he’s home-bred, and they’re going to be so thrilled with it.

“He was a last-minute addition (to the travelling team). It was literally probably a week or so before we said to Deirdre and Brendan, ‘he’s doing good trials. Will we take him?’. Fair play to them, they put their money where their mouth was, said they’d give him a look, and now he’s a Derby winner.”